St. Jerome students carol in downtown Tamaqua

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

ANDREW LEIBENGUTH/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS Kadence Dietrich, 5, sings 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' outside Klingaman's Office Equipment with 122 other St Jerome school-mates, teachers, and parents while caroling in downtown Tamaqua. Kadence is the daughter of Army Sgt. Shannon Walkup, who has served 12-years in the Army, and is currently deployed with the Army at Ft. Dixx, NJ, in preparation for her 2nd tour overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kadence is cared for by her grandparents Faith and Jack Obrien.

More than 120 kindergarten to sixth grade students, staff and parents from the St Jerome Regional School lined the sidewalks of downtown Tamaqua while caroling at a number of the businesses on East and West Broad Street.

Some locations they stopped at and sang carols were Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce, La Dolce Casa Restaurant, M & T Bank, Klingaman's, TABC Hi-Rise, Sovereign Bank, Wachovia Bank, and the Tamaqua Salvation Army, where they witnessed first-hand where their donations they raised for Toys For Tots and Tamaqua Salvation Army go.

This is the fourth year the school has done this.

While the students were in the Salvation Army gym, Tamaqua Salvation Army Major Sharon Whispell talked to all the children about the Salvation Army and how all their donations help the less fortunate. Sovereign Bank Vice President Surge Crush said, "It's a wonderful thing how all these children, teachers and parents are out celebrating and sharing the Christmas spirit with everyone."